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Tobey Maguire lauds 'best friend' Leo DiCaprio at Cannes

The bro-mance is on in the South of France. Tobey Maguire gave praise to his good friend and The Great Gatsby co-star during the film's press conference which kicked off the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

Tobey Maguire praised his good friend and The Great Gatsby co-star during the film's news conference, which kicked off the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday.

The two more than just shared the screen. DiCaprio urged Maguire to audition for the part of the film's narrator, Nick Carraway, once DiCaprio had been cast as director Baz Luhrmann's Gatsby.

"We take our jobs very seriously, but have a lot of fun too," Maguire said Wednesday, sitting next to DiCaprio during the animated news conference. "I was inspired working with my friend, one of my best friends, who happens to be a great actor."

The two shared a few whispers and quiet laughs during the 40-minute news conference attended by Luhrmann and the film's stars. Maguire also talked about how serious both he and DiCaprio were in translating F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel to the screen.

Maguire called DiCaprio a "very diligent detective," poring over source material to bring Gatsby to life. He recalled late-night sessions with the director Luhrmann and DiCaprio deciding how to interpret the book onto the screen.

"I remember being with Leo and Baz arguing til 2 or 3 in the morning, when we had to be at work the next morning," said Maguire. "It was a common practice."

Even before Gatsby soared at the box office (making $50 million in its opening weekend), the collaboration was "a satisfying experience" for Maguire.

"And it was something I will always love and treasure as a person working with a friend," said Maguire.

Gatsby will have a glamorous Cannes premiere and a jazz-age worthy after-party at Cannes on Wednesday night.